Undergarment for women



Dec. 31, 1940. N. BISBERG 2,227,214

UNDERGARMENT FOR WOMEN Filed June '7, 1959 Fig 4.2 Rig. 5.

INVENTOR. Nat/z an .Bz'sbezg ATTORNEY.

Patented 31.19 40 UNITED STATES UNDERGARMENT FOR WOMEN Nathan Bisberg, New York, N. Y., assig'nor to Leona Undcrgarment Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 7 Application June, 7, 1939, Serial No. 277,802

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-243) My invention relates to improvements in an undergarment for women, popularly known as a slip. A slip is customarily worn beneath the outer garment or dress, to render the dress 5 substantially opaque, to avoid contact of dress and body, and to give shape to the dress. A slip is a separate article of manufacture, which is made in various sizes, ready to wear, and is usually sold separate from the outer garment or dress. The slip when worn is requiredv to be slightly shorter than the dress, so that when worn the slip isnot seen. If it is longer than the dress, it produces an ungainly, slovenly and ill dressed appearance.

15 One object of the invention is to provide convenient adjustment of a slip whereby proper shortening to suit the outer garment or person may be accomplished by a person unskilled in thesewing art.

20 Another object of the invention is to provide a finished tailored edge in a slip at all times after shortening, without the need of resorting to sewing means at the time of shortening.

A further object of the invention is to provide 25 such an-edge as will not'unravel or fray and withstand launderings.

A further object of the invention is to provide such simple adjustment, means for a slip, as will not. interfere with the manufacture of 30 slips in accordance with the current art, and

. as will permit the manufacture of such slips substantially commercially as cheap as theretofore.

My invention also has for its objects such other advantages as hereinafter are made to' 35 appear.

To fully explain my invention, I shall briefly refer to the disadvantages, flowing from the shortening of a ready to wear slip, which it is the object of my invention to avoid.

In shortening a ready to wear slip, to suit the length of the outer garment with which it is to be worn, the wearer by cutting the bottom of the slip, simultaneously removes its stitched bottom hem or other tailored bottom edge, leav- 45 ing an unfinished bottom edge which will unravel orfray in wearing and in laundering. To produce a new stitched hem or other-tailored edge, requires the time and'labor of a skilled person and access to sewing means, and this is 50 so each time the slip is subsequently shortened.

The inability, thus, to conveniently and quickly shorten a slip results in its non use or in its use with an unfinished untailored edge. There is, therefore, a definite need for an easily adjustable slip.

My invention is a slip which can be easily and in a few moments shortened to suit the length of the outer garment while at the same time without recourse to sewing means retaining'its fit and a stitched hem or otherwise tai- 5 lored bottom edge. It also permits a slip for a person of one height to be easily adjusted to a person of shorter height.

My invention consists in providing a slip with a plurality of narrow strips of cloth, said strips of cloth being sewed to or otherwise permanently applied by their upper edges to the outer surface of the slip, leaving the area between the upper and lower edge of each strip free, each strip encircling said slip completely and running parallel to the bottom edge thereof. The first of said strips so sewed or applied is preferably placed a short distance above the bottom edge of the slip and each of the balance of the plurality of strips follow similarly one above the other, each separately spaced and similarly permanently sewed. or attached. It is preferable to use a suflicient number of strips to encircle an area approximating about of the length of the slip. Each of saidstrips is in fact a potential hem, narrow so that it may lay flat against the body of. the slip, and not interfere with the contour of the outergarment. To shorten the slip, all that'is necessary is to lift the free edge of that strip at which shortening is desired and to cut away beneath it close to its upper edge completely around the slip. To guide the cutting means, the body of the slip beneath each strip may be marked with a fine surface line or with ,a perforated line produced with a hem stitching machine, completely around the slip, but these means, however, are unecessary since the slip body may be cut away safely without them. The result is a shortened slip, and the permanent strip from under which 40 the slip has been cut away furnishes a finished tailored edge which will not unravel or fray and which will withstand many launderings. One strip in place of a plurality may be used,-althoughimpractical.

This way of providing an adjustable slip does not interfere with the manufacture of the body of the slip according to the best practice in the art. As heretofore the slip can be manufactured from cloth cut at a biasso that the warp and fill of the cloth is at an angle to the horizontal and vertical axis of the body to be clothed, giving resiliency and stretch to the cloth when needed and the. other advantages inherent in A cloth thus cut.. As heretofore the body of the stantially, commercially as cheap as heretofore;

while the improved slip is by far more commercially attractive in that it is a tailored edged garment which retains its tailored edge even after shortening.

My invention also is in. the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction as herein set forth and claimed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of the improved slip in perspective.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower portion of the improved slip in perspective to show a portion of the slip being cut away in the course of shortening. v

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the improved slip in perspective after a portion of the slip has been cut away, showing-the first strip as the new hem.

Fig. 4 is a detailed vertical sectional elevation taken on line 4-4, Figure 3, viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical sectional elevation taken on line 55, Fig. l, viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 6 is an elevation view in perspective of one of the strips showing one portion of its free edge raised and other details.

Fig. 7 is an elevation in perspective of an improved slip showing a different type of slip body.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, Figure 1 represents a slip, embodying my invention.

Upon the outer surface of the slip body 1, approximately 1 above its bottom edge 8,. there is permanently attached in the manner hereinafter indicated, a narrow strip of cloth of the same material and color, preferably, as that of theslip body I. The strip continues completely around the slip body parallel to the bottom edge 8. In similar manner .there is attached a plur-ality of such strips one above each other, each spaced approximately 1 /2" apart. In my particular embodiment I have used strips 9, l0 and H, although as many more may be used as are desired. Sufficient strips to cover approximately /6 the length of the hem produces a slip adjustable to the various dress lengths a wearer is apt to have, and one which may be adjusted to fit a shorter person. g

The strips 9, l0 and H are made approximately t." in width. In my embodiment these are made out of cloth strips in width of the same mater-ial and color as the slip body, the strips being double stitched, after being fed through a hemmer device which folds the strip and reduces it to a finished edge strip of a final width of about 1 8-". My invention, however, is not intended to be limited to the use of strip of this, kind, but any equivalent strip with its edges finished will serve to attain the objects of my invention, whether made by hand or machine. The details on a large scale are shown for strip 9, in Fig. 6,

In the embodiment of my invention thue strips 0, II and II are attached to the outer slip body their lower edges [5, l6 and I1 hanging free, as

shown on. Fig. 5 a vertical section of the slip on line 5-5 in Fig. 1. In sewing the upper edges of the strip to the slip body I, I have preferably used a zigzag stitch l8, I8, 20, this stitch being unusually permanent, and not loosening or unravelling, by an accidental cutting across the stitch. I do not intend, however, to limit my invention ,by the type of stitch used, not by the manner of attachment of the strips, any other means of secure attachment being sufilcient provided the lower portion of the strip be free to act as a finished bottom edge after shortening. The manner of attachment by zigzag stitch 20, is shownona large scale for strip 8 in Fig. 6, which I have chosen as illustrative of all strips.

To. shorten a slip as desired, I proceed in the following manner. In Figure 2 the slip is shown being shortened. The bottom of strip 9, being free, is raised and with a s'cissor or other cutting means portion 2| of the slip body is cut away beneath strip 9 as close to the point of attachment of the strip 9 as will permit without cutting into the zigzag stitch. The commencement of the cutting is shown in Figure 6 at 26, where the strip is shown raised. This process is continued completely around the slip body until the entire Y slip is shortened. Figure 3 shows the shortening completed with strip 9 now serving as the new cealed beneath the new hem 9 as shown in Figure 4 a vertical section of the slip on line 4-4 in Figure 3. In similar manner the slip body may be further shortened permitting strip l0 and then strip H to successively serve as the tailored bottom edge of theslip. To guide the cutting means the body of the slip at point 26 in Figure 6, and beneath each strip at a corresponding point may be marked with a fine surface line or a perforated line produced with a hem stitching machine completely around the slip, but these means are, however, unnecessary since the slip body may be cut away safely without them.

The slip body shown in Figure 1 possesses-the following features, but these are not intended to limit my invention to use with this type of slip body, it being equally well adapted to use with any type of slip body in which suitable shortening means, at the lower part of the slip body are a desirable feature. Thus, Figure 7 shows a half slip body 21 which terminates at its top, at the waistline, with an elastic band 23 to keep the slip in place. As shown it has side pieces of cloth F and G which are sewed in at these points to give fit to the waistline. It has the bottom edge I and strips 9, l0, u, attached and constructed as described for Figure 1. The slip body as shown in Figure 1 is made of a front comprising a plu-- rality of cloth pieces a, b, c, d, e, seamed together i stated, insuring to that slip the advantages flowing from the use of cloth thus out. In the slip body the bottom edge 8 is made by folding under to produce a hem which is then permanently stitched. In Figure 1, a shoulder strap 22 is shown to support the body of the slip upon-the shoulders, together with shortening means 34 and 25 old in the art for procuring adjustment of the slip to fit about the upper portions 01' the body and for minor adjustment in length. Means 24 and 25 may be omitted without detracting from the invention. It is not intended, however, that my invention is to be limited to its use with a particular slip body possessing the above features, it being broadly adapted for use with any slip.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthis invention. Al-

though I ha e described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A womans undergarment having a finished bottom edge, a plurality of narrow fabric strips to serve as hems, each of said strips having a plurality or narrow fabric folds, longitudinal uncut edges, double stitched for permanently securing said folds together, said strips being disposed flat- ,3 ly upon the outer surface oi the undergarment body, circumferentiaily and parallel to its bottom edge, successively one above the other at short approximately equal intervals varying from about one-half inch to two (2) inches, commencing a short interval approximately one-half /2) inch to approximately two (2) inches above the bottom edge of said body, said strips being so disposed upon approximately the bottom one-sixth (V portion of said body; and means comprising a series of zigzag stitches for permanently securing the upper longitudinal edge of each strip to said undergarment body, the portion of each strip below said edge, hanging free; whereby a portion of saidbody may be severed by merely cutting away said body beneath the strip at which shortening is desired,sufllciently to adjust it to the wearer and the outer dress with which it is to be worn, andwhereby the strip beneath which the cutting takes place serves as a new finished 20 bottom edge for said body and to conceal the, line of cut, substantially as described.

NATHAN BISBERG. 

